Aston Villa 1 Manchester United 2: Carling Cup final match report

Read a full report of the Carling Cup final between Aston Villa and Manchester
United at Wembley Stadium on Sunday Feb 28 2010.

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Score: Wayne Rooney made it 20 goals in as many games as Manchester United beat Aston Villa to retain the Carling CupPhoto: PA

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Leveller: Michael Owen celebrates his equaliser for Manchester United against Aston Villa at WembleyPhoto: REUTERS

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Spot on: James Milner opens the scoring for Aston Villa against Manchester United at WembleyPhoto: GETTY MAGES

By Henry Winter at Wembley Stadium

8:00AM GMT 01 Mar 2010

Another day, another goal, another reminder that Wayne Rooney is head and shoulders above every other player in the country. His last six goals have come from his bony forehead, a phenomenal run that reflects the Manchester United’s striker’s metamorphosis into a devastating penalty-box force, a boon for club and country.

Rooney’s classic centre-forward’s finish, leaping up to steer Antonio Valencia’s cross past Brad Friedel, the type of goal that the watching Alan Shearer must have admired, will surely intensify the debate over his England positioning. Rooney’s ability to elude markers, timing his run and his rise to get on the end of crosses has now been seen here at Wembley, in the ace’s braces against West Ham United and AC Milan and one against Portsmouth. Six of the best from the head master.

Some famous goals have been scored in the 50 years of the League Cup final, rolling back through the decades: Chelsea’s Didier Drogba settled the 2007 tear-up against Arsenal, John Sheridan struck Sheffield Wednesday’s winner against Manchester United in 1991 while Ronnie Whelan’s curler for Liverpool accounted for United in 1983. Dennis Tueart’s bicycle-kick for Manchester City thwarted Newcastle United in 1976 while Terry Cooper’s thunderbolt for Leeds saw off Arsenal in 1968. Great goals, great moments, tet arguably few carry as much national significance as Rooney’s yesterday.

Looking on from the smart seats was Fabio Capello, the England coach who has traditionally utilised Rooney in the hole behind Emile Heskey. But now? Rooney’s vibrancy up top demands at least consideration of his deployment there for England, although he must first overcome a knee problem if he is to face Egypt here on Wednesday. Capello’s call on Rooney as a No 10 or No 9 represents the biggest decision of the Italian’s reign.

If Capello does elect to play Rooney as his lead forward, so dispensing with Heskey, it would have the benefit of allowing Steven Gerrard to move into his preferred role off the striker. A vacancy would then open up on the left, and the sooner James Milner is embedded somewhere in the England team the better. Milner was Villa’s best player, showing his versatility by starting through the middle and ending as an attacking right-back. Capello’s decision to list Milner as a right-back in his squad-list for the Egypt friendly adds to the intrigue.

Reflecting the enthusiasm of Aston Villa’s superbly passionate and relentlessly loud support, Milner and Gabby Agbonlahor were first to show.

Villa came flying out of the traps as if Wembley had reverted to one of its former uses. The story of this final could have been so different if the referee, Phil Dowd, had done his job properly and dismissed Nemanja Vidic for denying Agbonlahor a goalscoring opportunity after five minutes.

Ashley Young hooked the ball down the inside-left channel and Agbonlahor, played onside by Patrice Evra, stole a march on Vidic. The Serb’s response was first to tug Agbonlahor’s shirt and then to send him sprawling on the floor. Agbonlahor was clearly zeroing in on Tomasz Kuszczak’s goal, the point made graphically by the stud marks in the increasingly scarred turf signalling his line of attack. On goal. No question.

“Penalty, penalty, he’s off, he’s off,’’ Martin O’Neill spluttered on the touchline, before adding in disbelief, “he’s not going to send him off.’’ Dowd did award a penalty, coolly converted by Milner, but failed even to caution Vidic. No wonder Villa fans vilified Dowd, questioning his competence and other characteristics. No wonder O’Neill vented his frustration during the game and afterwards, engaging in an initially animated conversation with the Staffordshire official as Sir Alex Ferguson and United went up for their winner’s medals Yet Dowd is hardly a favourite of Ferguson either, having dismissed five United players in the last 12 League games he has officiated of theirs.

But Dowd’s pre-match observation to the BBC that “hopefully I will be in the background and they won’t notice me’’ rather disappeared in a cloud of acrid claret-and-blue smoke.

For all their dismay, Villa can take pride from their journey to Wembley and the signs of a prosperous future. The hoardings carried a tribute to their owner, “Thank you Randy Lerner’’, who has funded O’Neill’s shrewd rebuilding of Villa. Often perceived as a counter-attacking team with real width, Villa yesterday displayed the subtler, more varied style O’Neill is inculcating, keeping possession for periods.

Villa’s rancour over Vidic’s escape escalated when James Collins was cautioned, following a trip on Michael Owen. Collins’ central-defensive partner, Richard Dunne, then erred on the ball. Spooked by Dimitar Berbatov’s presence, Dunne dithered, allowing the Bularian to nick possession. Dunne recovered, sliding in to intercept but succeeding only in presenting the ball to Michael Owen, whose low finish arrowed from right to left past Brad Friedel.

And so the game flowed from end to end with United looking the more in control. Ji-sung Park hit the post. Owen’s hamstring gave way, introducing Rooney. Milner continued to impress, doing some clearing up on the edge of Villa’s box while Agbonlahor continued to worry Vidic.

Then came Rooney, starting the long build-up that led to his winner, the ball moving through midfield. Darren Fletcher and the excellent Antonio Valencia linked up, Valencia accelerating away from the disappointing Stiliyan Petrov. Valencia’s 1-2 with Berbatov tore Villa’s defence apart and Rooney’s header was too accurate, looping over Friedel. With Valencia causing Stephen Warnock real problems, Rooney was soon presented with another chance which he headed against the post.

Villa rallied, pouring forward in vainful search of an equaliser.

Downing’s cross clipped Vidic and hit the bar. Dunne headed wide but United held firm. Once again, the head of Rooney had made the headlines.